243 fur damage

C

coloradocat

New member
I just got a 243 for a back up coyote rifle ,I bought some 58 grain v max molyfor ammo.My question is how bad on the fur is it?different ammo have any better results?what do some of you guys shoot and what was the damage you have seen?
thanx
 
I had some rather big holes and splatter so they weren't fur friendly in my experience and have changed to 75-80 grain Sierras.
 
I've shot the Hornady 58gr Vmax for three seasons through my Ruger .243. I've experienced fantastic results with it on coyotes and deer. several kills from 60 to 150 yds and have yet to have a splatter or bullet exit. just one small entrance hole and no exit. impressive damage inside the body though. vitals are usually trashed completely. jello man. havent had any spinners or run-offs. all kills were dead right there.
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here's the first coyote i shot with the 58gr vmax 3 years ago on Thanksgiving morning. 65yds shot into the left front shoulder. broke both legs and never exited the body.

i worry about how it will do on bobcat and fox. i've taken all my fox so far with a shotgun. i had my wife pick me up two more boxes of these moly coated rounds from Hornady. accurate and deadly. taken a couple of white-tails with this load at 150 and 200yds. one shot kills with small entry and no exit. i like it.
 
I shot around 20 coyotes with a 55gr Winchester ballistic silver tip and the exits were always within a quarter to fifty cent piece size.

I switched to 58gr hornady reloads because the Winchesters were to expensive. I have had some frontal shots that did not exit but almost all of my broadside shots have been brutal. I have had some baseball size exits and some you could stick a both fists in. I have also had some splash and that makes a real mess too.
 
Ive used primarily 70 noslers BTips. Hit solidly, no exit. Hit a bone near the surface or at an angle it can get ugly. Looks like a cleaver lopped off some fur. Hit them high in the back and it will rain fur for a week. Get a good solid/center hit and it wont exit but when you pick up the yote it will be like picking up a bucket of ice water. I relegated my 243 to my "windy day" gun because of fur damage. 22-250 isnt a whole lot better with highly frangible bullets.
 
I have used them quite a bit but always on distance shots, never had a problem with big exit holes if beyond 300 yards, have also shot bobcat with them and it is the same story.
 
I have had good luck with 70gr BKs on coyote size game. Usually no exit. On smaller stuff like fox and bobcat, it blows them apart.
 
I like and have had great results with Hornadys 75 gr. VMAX.
Even on broadside shots no exit and they drop right there.
Don't use Speers TNT for any animal you wish to save fur on.
Great bullet for those non prime fur hunting months, But they just explode. The Coyote looks like a Ground squirrel after shooting it with a 223.
 
Originally Posted By: rabiddogI like and have had great results with Hornadys 75 gr. VMAX.
Even on broadside shots no exit and they drop right there.
Don't use Speers TNT for any animal you wish to save fur on.
Great bullet for those non prime fur hunting months, But they just explode. The Coyote looks like a Ground squirrel after shooting it with a 223.

So you're saying I shouldn't use the 87 grain TNT's in my 25-06?
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Ted Stotler wrote a story on using .243s for coyote hunting for the October Trapper & Predator Caller issue.

Ted says the .243 is the "unsung hero" of predator cartridges. And, in terms of fur damage, he says the gun makes up for a little extra damage by being more of a "showstopper."

The issue hits newsstands on Sept. 13 if you're interested in reading the story.
 
I used a .243 as my main go-to coyote gun for several years shooting the Nosler 85 grain Partitions at around 3200 fps. Always an exit but normally not much bigger than a quarter. Easy to sew. I've heard that Randy Anderson's buddy Glen Zink always uses factory deer ammo in either 85 or 100 grain soft points and he saves pelts so it can't be that bad.
 
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